Process of producing expanded metal



Feb. 26, 1924.

- 1,485,219 L. E. CURTIS PROCESS OF PRODUCING EXPANDED METAL Filed June 1921 v 2 Sheets-Sheet l u. a; I I r 1y glwuemioc Fatented Feb. 26, 1924.

LEWIS E. CURTIS, OF WARREN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE YOUNGSTOWN PRESSED STEEL COMPANY, OF WARREN, OHIO, .A. CORPORATION OF OHIO.

PROCESS OF PRODUCING EXPANDED METAL.

Application filed. June 2, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, LEWIS E.'OURTIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Warren, in the county of Trumbull and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Producing Expanded Metal, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements upon existing methods of producing expanded metal lathing of the herring bone type, and aims to provide a simple, economical and efiicient method which will result in an article having greater stiffness in proportion to the weight of metal.

In order that my invention may be readily understood, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic face view of a metal sheet showing a portion of the sheet unslitted and with the remaining portion illustrating the manner of slitting.

Figs 1 and 1? are detail views illustrating the formation of the cutting dies which I preferably use.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view illustrating the method of flattening the sheet and forming longitudinal ribs.

Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating the manner in which the metalbetween the rows of slits is angularly displaced relative to the plane of the sheet.

Fig. bis a diagrammatic view illustrating the spreading means at the commencement of the spreading operation.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the sheet of Fig. 4 before being spread.

Fig. 6 is a view of the spread or opened sheet. a

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the completed sheet.

In proceeding according to my invention, I take a lain sheet of metal of the desired weight or gauge and feed it intermittently between sucessively disposed and co-acting pairs of reciprocating dies 2 and 2 such as shown in Figs. 3 and 4-. All the dies of one pair are arranged or inclined so as to slit the sheet on parallel lines to produce in a defined or predetermined area thereof (depending on the extent of die surface desired) spaced parallel rows of slitted strands as indicated at 1*, all inclining in the same direction. Immediately following the action of one set of dies the sheet Serial N0. 474,506.

elite as indicated at 1". Ithereby produce a sheet having parallel rows of strands, the

strands of any one row inclining in an opposite direction to those of the a acent row or rows. Narrow strip or unslitted portions 1 intervene between certain of the rows and the sheet has also wider unslitted marginal portions 1 and intermediate unslitted portions 1 and 1, such marginal and wider intermediate portions being utilized for the formation of the longitudinal ribs in the manner hereinafter described.

It will be understood that -I do not limit myself to any particular number of ribs, the arrangement shown of three high ribs and two of lesser height being illustrated as a desirable form.

The dies are preferably shaped so as to deflect one strand while holding the adjoining strand in the plane of the sheet as this facilitates the subsequent flatteningofthe sheet. The die construction preferred for this purpose is shown in Figs. 1 and 1 from which it will be seen that the'lower die member 2* has strand receiving recesses or die cavities a and the upper die member male die portions a" fitting such cavities; the die face or faces between the male parts a being formed on straight lines parallel with the plane of the sheet as also are the i faces of the intervening portions a of die member 2.

The sheet may be flattened to bring" the deflected strands back into the plane of the sheet in any suitable manner and as a separate step," as by plain faced dies (not shown or it may be flattened simultaneously wit the formation of the longitudinal ribs.

The formin of the ribs can be effectively accomplished y upper and lower reciprocating coacting dies 3 and 3 having respectively male and female die arts or ribs and grooves 3 and ,3 for forming the hi h ribs subject the unslitted portions throughput definite or determined lengths to a swag ng action and thusproduce the aforesaid ribs.

The next step is to turn or deflect the narrow strips of metal between the rows of strands into a position inclined to the plane of the sheet so as to displace the rows of strands in the direction they are to move, or' cause them to lie in planes at an angle to the plane of the sheet preparatory to opening out the sheet, and this I may accomplish by the use of die members 4; and i, preferably reciprocating, such dies having their faces provided with longitudinal ribs or grooves of the shape clearly shown in Fig. 3, and having also coacting ribs and grooves to fit the previously formed longitudinal ribs of the sheet by which the sheet will be properly positioned and held during the closing of the dies.

Thereafter the sheet is spread or opened out and this I accomplish by carrying the marginal portions bodily away from each other.

This is preferably done by supporting the sheet upon a suitable table or member 5 and providing transversely movable slides having projection portions 6 to fit the hollow portions of the marginal ribs, and coacting gripper members 7 having rib receiving grooves 7 The slides and coacting grippers are moved simultaneously in opposite directions by suitable means such as links 8 eccentrically connected to discs 9 or their equivalent, which may be rotated by any suitable means (not shown). The sheet before expanding is shown in plan view in Fig. 6 and in section in Fig. 3, while the expanded sheet is shown in section in Fig. 5 and in plan in Fig. 7.

In expanding a three high rib sheet, I prefer to engage the central rib by fixed die members 10 and 10 but for a sheet containing four or more ribs a plurality of slides and grippers would be used moving at differential speeds in opposite directions.

It will e understood that the various steps above described are preferably all carried out intermittently, the sheet or sheets bein fed forward when the dies are separate and held stationar while the dies are acting, the same remarlis applying to the action of the grippers.

It will also be understood that I do not l1m1t myself to the means shown in the drawings for carrying out the method, such means being shown diagrammatically as re resentative of any suitable means.

avmg thus described my invention, what I claim is: Y

1. The herein described method of producing expanded metal which consists in simultaneously forming in defined areas, a plurality of rows of longitudinally alined slits in a sheet to form parallel rows of inclined strands, inclining the strands of each row with relation to the plane of the sheet while maintaining them as a whole in said plane, and thereafter drawing the margins of the sheet in opposite direct-ions in the plane of the sheet.

2. The herein described 'method of producing expanded metal which consists in simultaneously forming a plurality of longitudinally alined slits in a sheet to form parallel rows of inclined strands, subsequently further slitting the sheet to form other rows of strands inclined reversely to said first named strands, inclining such strands with relation to the plane of the sheet While maintaining them as a whole in the plane of the sheet, and thereafter drawing the margins of the sheet in opposite directions.

3. The herein described method of producing expanded metal which consists in intermittently feeding a metal sheet, simultaneously forming in successively defined areas a plurality of longitudinally alined slits to produce parallel rows of inclined strands, thereafter similarly slitting defined areas to produce adjacent rows of reversely inclined strands, and finally opening out the sheet.

4. The herein described method of producing expanded metal which consists in intei'mit-tently feeding a metal sheet, successlve para lel rows of inclined strands, thereafter successively slittin defined areas to produce adjacent rows 0 reversely inclined strands, deflecting such strands into angular relation to the plane of the sheet,'and thereafter opening out the sheet.

5. The herein described method of producing expanded metal which consists in intermittently feeding a metal sheet, successively slitting defined areas to produce parallel rows of inclined strands, thereafter successively slitting defined areas to produce adjacent rows. of reversel incl ned strands, successively deflecting the strands of each of such defined areas into angular position relative to the plane of the sheet, and finally' successively drawing bodily apart the edges of the sheet.

slitting defined areas to produce 6. The herein described method of producing expanded metal which consists in simultaneously forming a plurality of lon defined lengths of said margin to a swaging operation to produce longitudinal ribs, and thereafter successively grasping such ribbed portions and drawing them bodily in opposite directions.

7. The herein described method of producing expanded metal which consists in simultaneously forming a plurality of 1on gitudinally almed slits in a sheet to produce parallel rows of inclined slits, the slits of one row being inclined reversely to the slits of the adjacent rows, and said sheet having unslitted marginal and intermediate portions, successively swaging said unslitted portions toproduce longitudinal ribs and finally successively 'grasplng said ribbe portions and-displacing them relative to each other in the plane of the sheet,

8. The herein described method of producing expanded metal which consists in 5. intermittently feeding a metal sheet, successively simultaneously forming in defined areas a plurality of rows of alined slits v ture.

produce parallel rows of strands all inclining in one direction, thereafter similarly slitting strands of such defined areas into planes inclined to the plane of the sheet, mar inal portions and intermediate portions 0 the sheet being left unslitted, successivelyswaging determined lengths of said unslitted p01- tions to produce longitudinal ribs, and final- 1y successively moving portions in opposite o the sheet.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signannwrsn CURTIS.

rections 1n the plane the mar inal ribbed 

